Create Profile or Log In

Forum Menu

Home > Forum Home > Saltwater Fishing > Fishing Reports

Manukau Harbour & West Coast fishing

  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Manukau Harbour & West Coast fishing Forum Search Events FAQ FAQRegister RegisterLogin Login

 Post Reply Post Reply
Page  123 279>
Post Options Post Options   Likes (4) Likes(4)   Quote Fishin' Chick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Manukau Harbour & West Coast fishing
    Posted: 15 Jun 2013 at 8:27pm
Fishin' Chick View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 15 Apr 2013
Status: Offline
Points: 151
After waking up and checking metservice this morning seeing the forecast wasn't too bad, Coxie and I decided to go out on the Manukau and look for gurnard.
We only managed to land 2 with the biggest one being 41cm.
We had quite a few gurnard bites but they were a bit shy today and the kahawai kept getting to the bait before the gurnard could.

We saw there were white pimples on the skin of the gurnard but kept them anyway because aparantly it doesn't affect their flesh.. Has anyone had experience with this before? 
Here's a couple of photos for anyone who hasn't seen them before..





Not long after we iki'd the gurnard, we realized there was a browny-greeny colour in by the gills.. Is this normal?
I've never seen it before




Not long after catching the only 2 gurnard of the trip, something reasonable size grabbed my rod. I thought it was a big kahawai, as we'd been catching them all day, but when I pulled up into the boat and saw it was a barracuda I couldn't believe it.. Second one in a week!

Feisty little mongrels they are! I caught one for my first time last week and only found out after we released it that they're good for bait, completely forgot today when I caught it to keep it for bait, but maybe next time! Has anyone else been catching them and those that use it for bait, is it any good to use on the Manukau?



Any help with either of those things would be greatly appreciated Smile

FC
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Dunwurkn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2013 at 8:34pm
Dunwurkn View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 14 Sep 2010
Location: NZ
Status: Offline
Points: 2544
Wouldn't worry about those spots fc seen it before and ate the fish no problems.

Not so sure about the green in the gills though and also never seen a barracuda in the harbour, infact never even heard of that before.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Fishin' Chick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2013 at 8:53pm
Fishin' Chick View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 15 Apr 2013
Status: Offline
Points: 151
Aren't the pimples like a parasite on their skin? I was thinking the green in by the gills might've been related to that, but then again i really have no idea...

Oh well, we'll find out tomorrow when we eat it LOL

And yeah i didnt know you could get barracuda in the harbour either until the guy in his boat not far from us pulled one up the other week. They're such awesome looking fish
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Skoti Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2013 at 9:07pm
Skoti View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jul 2006
Location: Waiuku
Status: Offline
Points: 4762
I 've caught a heap of  'couta in the harbour , not too uncommon at all at this time of year and yes they make good bait .
But like all bait it can be red-hot one day and untouched the next .
Pimples on gurnard is a new one on me though , caught a couple last weekend with this condition , didn't affect the fillets or taste .
( Not sure what is up with this font Confused )
COVID is no joke !
One former patient was so brain damaged after , he thought he won an election he lost by 7 million votes .
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Dunwurkn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2013 at 9:08pm
Dunwurkn View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 14 Sep 2010
Location: NZ
Status: Offline
Points: 2544
I think they are some of sort of virus. Smudge may know,hes caught quite a few with the same condition but i have eaten them like this as well as many others so you should be fine. Barracuda are great hapuka bait, havent used them for,anything else but dont see why they wouldnt work for other species.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Fishin' Chick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2013 at 9:12pm
Fishin' Chick View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 15 Apr 2013
Status: Offline
Points: 151
Thanks for that guys, we didn't keep the last fish with pimples on it but after hearing they were ok to eat we kept the 2 with pimples today Smile 

Skoti do you know what the green in by the gills may be caused by?
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote smudge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2013 at 9:36pm
smudge View Drop Down
Moderator - Ninja
Moderator - Ninja
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Te Toro
Status: Offline
Points: 31801
The pimples are a very  common condition, some years more common than others and more so in summer than winter. We caught a couple in the last few weeks like that. They are fine to eat but if they have it particularly bad they lose condition. That one in your pic is only a mild condition, they get much worse. I thought it was a parasite but it appears to be a viral condition harmless to people.

Here's a link to some info about it

That gill colouration is also nothing to be concerned about.

Barracoutta show up in the harbour some winters, I've gone several years without catching them but then I've caught several in one day. They can be an ok bait. They also get pretty big.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote daz500 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2013 at 10:19pm
daz500 View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 07 Feb 2011
Location: shelly beach
Status: Offline
Points: 419
we get the same up here on the kaipara little white spots when you get a bin of 20 at least a couple have it ,  and  we get the dark brown & green colouring around the gills but the fish seem ok,  its the pasty  flesh ones you need to keep your eye out for , even when you chill them right down they don't fillet as good, a bit soft and mushy ,  the kaipara is full of baitfish at the moment how is the manukau ?
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2013 at 10:20pm
cirrus View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 07 May 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 9744
Didnt head out today for solo mish. Rained early on ,and forecast for rising N.E About the time i should have been fishing it calmed down ,contary to forecast.
Green gills ,sure it isnt connected to too much booze being spilled at last weeks comp. Fish still getting over a hangover.Smile
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote smudge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2013 at 10:23pm
smudge View Drop Down
Moderator - Ninja
Moderator - Ninja
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Te Toro
Status: Offline
Points: 31801
Heaps and heaps of kahawai, big and small in the harbour Daz. Cirrus, we like our beer too much to spill it Big smile
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote samax Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jun 2013 at 1:21pm
samax View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 16 Jun 2013
Location: Auckland
Status: Offline
Points: 262
hi mate 
we headed out in our trusty bright yellow thundercat yesterday aswell from french bay and headed strait over to the port marker straight off the end of the airport and fished the verry end of the incomming tide and the first 2-3 hours of outgoing and didfairly well getting around 8 gurnard biggest weighing a touch under 2kg and around halph a dozen kahawai for raw fish. there also seemed to be alot of smaller snapper milling around. also with those lice we caught one gurnard almost completely covered with them and it made no difference to the taste. quite a good first propper trip out on the manukau in the boat.Big smile
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote crustycrab Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jun 2013 at 1:34pm
crustycrab View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 16 Jul 2012
Status: Offline
Points: 119
we get barracouta in tga harbour over winter aswel
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote spaceships Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jun 2013 at 7:45pm
spaceships View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 13 Jun 2013
Location: dunedin
Status: Offline
Points: 247
Good to hear that manukau is going well with gurnard back in. Hoping to try an evening fish this week when the wind drops to get some gurnard and kahawai.  In an orange thundercat.......there could be a plague of tcats out there soon.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishin' Chick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jun 2013 at 9:39pm
Fishin' Chick View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 15 Apr 2013
Status: Offline
Points: 151
yeah the manukau's been awesome for gurnard at the moment, we've been catching them at almost every spot we try Smile nice change from tonnes of little snapper in the summer! that was all we seemed to be catching, haha
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jun 2013 at 12:53pm
cirrus View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 07 May 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 9744
Anyone know how freshwater effects Gurnard fishing. A lot of rain and runoff over the last day or so.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Telecaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jun 2013 at 1:57pm
Telecaster View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Location: Whangaparaoa
Status: Offline
Points: 3613
Originally posted by Skoti Skoti wrote:

I 've caught a heap of  'couta in the harbour , not too uncommon at all at this time of year and yes they make good bait .
But like all bait it can be red-hot one day and untouched the next .
Pimples on gurnard is a new one on me though , caught a couple last weekend with this condition , didn't affect the fillets or taste .
( Not sure what is up with this font Confused )

Skoti - CTRL + i turns Italics off and on - suspect you fat-fingered the shift key at the start of your post.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishin' Chick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jun 2013 at 2:28pm
Fishin' Chick View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 15 Apr 2013
Status: Offline
Points: 151
cirrus we've been going out almost every weekend since the weathers turned to sh*t and we always manage to get gurnard in the bin raining or not.

i dunno if it has any effect on the gurnard fishing but if so, it's never affected us Smile 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishin' Chick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jun 2013 at 2:41pm
Fishin' Chick View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 15 Apr 2013
Status: Offline
Points: 151
but then again we wouldnt really know would we! 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jun 2013 at 3:27pm
cirrus View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 07 May 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 9744
Thanks F C. Yes fresh water would probably dilute fairly quickly. Planning trip tomorrow or Wednesday before weather goes downhill. Either a French bay launch or Huia launch. Are you getting fish well up the harbour. If so maybe French bay would do the trick. Sheltered in a N.W
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Skoti Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 6:14am
Skoti View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jul 2006
Location: Waiuku
Status: Offline
Points: 4762
Originally posted by Telecaster Telecaster wrote:

Originally posted by Skoti Skoti wrote:

I 've caught a heap of  'couta in the harbour , not too uncommon at all at this time of year and yes they make good bait .
But like all bait it can be red-hot one day and untouched the next .
Pimples on gurnard is a new one on me though , caught a couple last weekend with this condition , didn't affect the fillets or taste .
( Not sure what is up with this font Confused )

Skoti - CTRL + i turns Italics off and on - suspect you fat-fingered the shift key at the start of your post.
Cheers Patrick , thought it maybe a case of Beer fingers Wink LOL
COVID is no joke !
One former patient was so brain damaged after , he thought he won an election he lost by 7 million votes .
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
Page  123 279>
Forum Jump
Forum Permissions View Drop Down


This page was generated in 0.365 seconds.

Most Thanked Forum Posts

4 Spam is going to finish this f...
4 Spam is going to finish this f...
3 Maritmie NZ cape brett
3 Spam is going to finish this f...
3 Spam is going to finish this f...
3 Spam is going to finish this f...
3 Winston Peters and Te Reo Govt...
3 Winston Peters and Te Reo Govt...
3 Making Burley
3 pvc pipe sizes

Fishing Reports Visit Reports

Manukau/West Coast Fishing Report - 30/11/23

Sharks, sharks and more sharks It’s been a while since my last report so it’s... Read More >

Inner Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 30/11/23

Post-spawning snapper moving in shallow Despite the constant strong equinox winds in the last two... Read More >

Canterbury Fishing Report - 30/11/23

Saltwater and freshwater fishing firing It’s December, and Christmas is almost upon us again! I... Read More >

Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 30/11/23

Evolution of softbaits - your advantage During a presentation last week, the past, present and... Read More >

Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites

All information © 2023 The Fishing Website